Telehealth – delivering medical expertise and allied health services to the elderly
THE CHALLENGE
All too often, ageing brings with it, complex and chronic health issues.
To successfully diagnose, treat, and monitor these health issues, a long-term, coordinated, and multidisciplinary approach to aged healthcare is necessary.
Managing multiple health appointments in a timely manner and arranging transport and support for the patient, can cause a huge logistical strain – not only for the care provider who is coordinating the treatment schedule, but most importantly, for the elderly patient who could be frail and have mobility difficulties.
For example, an elderly person’s healthcare may require:
- regular visits with a general practitioner, medical specialist, aged-care nurse, dentist, or psychologist.
- ongoing medical examinations to closely monitor the condition of their heart, lungs, ear, nose, and throat; or to check their temperature and blood oxygen levels.
- ongoing monitoring of, and dressings for, a healing wound or skin condition; pre- or post-treatment check-ups; and regular assessment of a new course of medication.
- additional support from allied health professionals such as an occupational therapist, exercise physiologist, dietician, or music and art therapists.
Whether older people reside in an aged care facility, an independent living apartment, or if they are ageing in their own home, the Australian Royal Commission into Aged Care has highlighted the important role telehealth will play in the future delivery of elderly care.
The Royal Commission has recommended that all providers in the sector have the necessary equipment and staff to support telehealth services in place by 1 November 2021.
THE SOLUTION
Discover a new Vision – a virtual health solution for aged care
Vision is an easy-to-use, low-cost telehealth software solution that delivers medical expertise and allied health services to elderly patients via internet-connected devices.
From the comfort of their own residence, an elderly patient supported by a familiar staff member, can use Vision to meet virtually with multiple participants in a secure telehealth video conference.
With the touch of a button, Vision quickly and easily initiates a video consultation on internet-connected devices including PCs, Macs, tablets and smartphones.
Featuring new bandwidth-optimising technology that delivers diagnostic-quality video and audio, as well as high-speed data transmission and end-to-end encryption, Vision is suitable for all aged care health settings that require collaborative, evidence-based decision making.
Virtual meetings are easy to schedule with Vision’s waiting-room function. The platform can be customised to organisational needs and integrated with a practice management calendar.
Vision provides equal access to healthcare and allied health services, no matter where the patient is located.
Vision – designed for aged care settings.
Available on a monthly or annual subscription, Vision’s unique software and collaborative clinical tools can be used on internet-connected devices to conduct remote, and secure, medical consultations between multiple participants.
Compatible devices include PCs, Macs, tablets, and smartphones. Android and iOS dedicated apps are also available, and Vision can be used through any current Chromium-based browser.
Vision also has built-in clinical functionality: Using Vision, participants can collect, view, and share a range of patient health metrics in real time. These include blood pressure, ECG, temperature, pulse oximetry, blood glucose and weight.
Vision can also integrate with an organisation’s electronic health record system for the secure transmission, storage and sharing of all patient data.
Vision + ProEX – a telemedicine software and hardware solution for aged care.
Vision can be teamed with our ProEX telehealth hardware system and its suite of approved medical devices, transforming a telehealth video conference into a clinical medical examination.
For aged care applications that require travel for in-home visits, our ProEX Mobile + Vision combination provides an on-the-go clinical solution.
ProEX integrated medical devices include ultrasound, stethoscope, endoscope, otoscope, pulse oximeter, ECG, thermometer, blood pressure monitor, weighing scales, and a GEIS® General Examination Camera HD.
When teamed together, the Vision + ProEX telehealth solution can be used for general imaging; wound management; dental examinations; ear, nose, and throat examinations; ophthalmology; dermatology, mental health; speech pathology, along with many other patient observations via Bluetooth and USB-connected devices.
All Visionflex products are IEC 60601 compliant, making them suitable for clinical medical assessments. Visionflex is also certified ISO 13485 2016 for the manufacture of non-sterile image capture and data storage systems for medical devices.
This world-first digital stethoscope application transmits stethoscope audio digitally without any loss of quality. It provides the physician at the far end with complete control of volume, gain, and audio filter settings of a digital stethoscope being used to listen to a remote patient’s heart, lung, and body sounds.
TrueSteth’s diagnostic-quality audio and visual display can be shared in real-time during video consultations.
Vision’s other innovative and unique collaborative clinical functions include:
Multiple participants can simultaneously activate and switch between numerous video cameras such as a GEIS® General Examination Camera HD or a dental camera, providing access to live clinical footage on screen in large 16:9 video windows.
Integrate remote clinical examinations during a video conference with the far-end doctor guiding the process and receiving real-time, on-screen patient data including blood pressure, ECG, temperature, pulse oximetry, blood glucose, and weight.
Remotely view and control IP- and USB-based pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) ceiling and room cameras for a clear view of the patient to add context and detail during clinical examinations.
Capture and instantly share multiple clinical images during video consultations. Data can be automatically stored on the local PC.
In real-time, video conference participants can annotate shared clinical images and PDF documents on screen for live discussion and collaboration. Files can be stored on the local PC.
Connections are possible via broadband internet, 4G mobile, and satellite. The system can be geo-fenced ensuring patient data is transmitted securely.
Our ProEX telehealth hardware solution
Vision joins our range of telehealth solutions that includes our ProEX system of telehealth hardware.
The ProEX uses high-speed, live, HD video conferencing capabilities, and end-to-end encryption to securely connect multiple participants in a real-time video consultation. Its powerful software delivers world-class sound and vision, and it can connect with participants on any PC via a local network, WiFi, and the internet.
While most traditional video conferencing platforms have no clinical functionality, the ProEX system supports a suite of approved medical examination devices (both digital and analogue), revolutionising the way that a physician or nurse can examine, diagnose, monitor, and treat remote patients.
Using the ProEX, vital patient health data can be collected and viewed live on screen, and it can be shared, recorded, and saved to an electronic health record system for future reference or review.
The system’s store-and-forward capabilities provide added flexibility for telehealth settings that require travel to visit elderly patients. All patient data is encrypted to comply with HIPAA requirements.
The ProEX system has an easy-to-use address book function and emails can be sent to invite a remote participant into a virtual meeting room. Scheduled video calls can be set up in advance, with pop-up reminders.
Depending on your aged care setting, the ProEX system is available in a variety of configurations
- The ProEX Telehealth Hub is suited to residential aged care facilities. It can be teamed with a Telehealth Cart for situations where equipment needs to be easily moved from room to room.
- The ProEX Mobile is a portable, rugged tablet device suitable for conducting medical examinations during field and home visits, as well as medical rounds in rural and remote locations.
- The Telehealth Cabinet with ProEX Telehealth Hub is perfect for settings with limited space or in remote areas where secure storage is required.
- The Backpack Kit with ProEX Mobile is easily transported to remote and rural areas and home visits, and it can be configured with medical peripherals to suit your needs.
Multiple ProEX units can be easily programmed to communicate securely with each other and share information in a customised network.
The ProEX Telehealth Hub and ProEX Mobile are designed for ease of use, with a minimal number of buttons and controls, and intuitive on-screen functions. Featuring a large HD screen, the ProEX units are a pleasure to use.
The ProEX units have multiple ports for optimum connectivity including HDMI, USB, DVI, CVBS and S-Video inputs, as well as LAN, Bluetooth, and WiFi capability.
The ProEX units have multiple ports for optimum connectivity including HDMI, USB, DVI, CVBS and S-Video inputs, as well as LAN, Bluetooth, and WiFi capability.
Visionflex – designed to deliver elderly care.
Visionflex, a leader in telehealth technology, was formed by two Australian engineers with the simple goal of making world-class healthcare accessible to everyone, everywhere.
To learn more about the Vision and ProEX telehealth software/hardware solutions, click below to book a demonstration today.
